


love me lights out

by anisstaranise



Series: Lights Out [1]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, M/M, Tarot, Valentine's Day, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-21
Updated: 2018-02-21
Packaged: 2019-03-22 03:50:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13755708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anisstaranise/pseuds/anisstaranise
Summary: The cold creeps into every nook of the castle, even the rare sunshine’s warmth streaming through the high windows can’t cut through the winter gale.Blaine moves to pull up the quilt bunched at his feet but startles to a stop when he realises there’s a body lying next to him- warm, solid, inviting. Heat creeps up the back of his neck as his lips curl into a grin; Sebastian Smythe is sleeping in his bed.





	love me lights out

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for [Seblaintine's Day 2018](http://seblaineaffairs.tumblr.com/tagged/seblaintine's-2018).  
> Bingo line (Card 2): Be mine, fortune teller, from dusk 'til dawn, apology, small talk.
> 
> A somewhat cliche high school love story set in Hogwarts.
> 
> Title from Elyjuh Rene's " _XO_ " (cover).

The room glows a radiant honey-colour, the late morning sun bouncing off the four wooden bedsteads. Blaine stirs awake, his skin rippling with goosebumps under his clothes from the biting winter chill. The draft within Hogwarts castle is usually bearable in the comfortable burrows of the Hufflepuff dormitories but they’re at the peak of winter. The cold creeps into every nook of the castle, even the rare sunshine’s warmth streaming through the high windows can’t cut through the winter gale.

Blaine moves to pull up the quilt bunched at his feet but startles to a stop when he realises there’s a body lying next to him- warm, solid, inviting. Heat creeps up the back of his neck as his lips curl into a grin; Sebastian Smythe is sleeping in his bed.

It’s then that the memories of the previous night come flooding back.

Almost all of the students had gone home for the long weekend (in honour of some legendary fallen wizard or other), leaving Hogwarts practically empty. Blaine had snuck Sebastian through the barrels set before the doors of the Hufflepuff common room and bolted straight for his dorm.

There, they had kissed until their lips were sore (and even then, Sebastian had kissed him some more). His hand had curled around Sebastian’s green and silver striped tie, pulling him closer, closer- and Sebastian had buried his fingers in his dark curls, tugging gently and languidly scratching at his scalp. That had driven him mad with want.

In between kisses, Blaine and Sebastian had talked, topics varying from light musings to personal stories. They had talked and kissed, then talked some more from dusk ‘til dawn. Apart from the stolen opportunities for brief chats in empty corridors and deserted courtyards, last night had been the most they had talked to one another.

Blaine had learned that Sebastian had an affinity for rap songs which he had proven by rapping _Alphabet Aerobics_ in its entirety (which had caused Blaine to erupt in awed whoops and applause). He, in turn, had shared with Sebastian his ability to bend back his thumb in a freakish way- or according to Sebastian, an endearingly disgusting way.

Spent from all the kisses and small talk, they had both fallen asleep- still clad in their uniforms and robes- just as the blue light of dawn had started to seep into the room.

Blaine watches Sebastian’s chest rising and falling and he still can’t believe the Slytherin boy is in his bed. He’s harboured a crush on Sebastian since their Fourth Year when Hufflepuff and Slytherin were scheduled to have _Charms_ together. He’s always brushed his feelings off, feeling that Sebastian was out of his league- and that he was a Slytherin.

Still grinning like a fool, Blaine pulls the quilt over both of them just as Sebastian curls closer to him as if seeking for warmth. He plants a kiss on Sebastian’s nose before nestling close to Sebastian, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep once more.

It is well past noon when Blaine and Sebastian finally- and rather reluctantly- get out of bed (after more kissing), uncaring of how creased their robes are. They pussyfoot along the corridor, quietly passing the Kitchens where the savoury smell of roast beef and the sweet scent of cherry scones waft through the air, making his stomach growl with hunger. They had skipped breakfast in favour of having a lie in (and more kissing); a decision he doesn’t regret. He just hopes there’s some food left considering they’re late for lunch.

The suits of armour lining one side of the wall glance at them in unison when Blaine and Sebastian turn the corner into one of the hallways leading to the Great Hall, their hollow visors magically following them along the way. He slows his pace, confident now that the chances of getting caught by the castle’s caretaker or one of the faculty members for sneaking a student from another House into the Hufflepuff common room are slim. And a Slytherin, at that!

They’re halfway down the hallway when Blaine feels Sebastian slip a hand into his, intertwining their fingers. His skin tingles at the touch, heat creeping up his neck like it had earlier that morning. Blaine bites his bottom lip trying- and failing- to suppress a smile as he looks down at their linked hands.

Blaine chances a glance at Sebastian; he’s not looking at Blaine, eyes cast forward and carrying himself with an air of nonchalance- but there’s a shadow of a smile tugging at the boy’s lips. One that mirrors his, Blaine surmises.

There’s a sound of laughter up ahead, footsteps coming around the corner. Instinctively, Blaine yanks his hand free from Sebastian, his heart racing in his chest. He awkwardly runs his hand through his unkempt curls before shoving them into his trouser pocket. He absent-mindedly takes a step away from Sebastian when three giggling Second Year girls come down the hallway. The girls walk between them, heads bent together, oblivious (or uncaring) to Blaine and Sebastian’s presence.

Once the girls are gone, Blaine strides up next to Sebastian, resuming his place before they were interrupted. Sebastian doesn’t take his hand this time. And when he chances a glance once more at Sebastian, his eyes are still cast forward- but the smile on his lips is gone.

\---

Shuffling footsteps, quick and clumsy, echo through the deserted courtyard as Blaine hurriedly pushes Sebastian against the wall tucked in a dark corner.

“You’re eager,” Sebastian says with a smirk.                                                         

“Shut it,” Blaine counters, kissing the smirk off Sebastian’s lips.

Sebastian reaches to cradle Blaine’s face with both hands as he kisses him back fervently. It’s messy lips and nibbling teeth but Blaine loves every way that the Slytherin boy is kissing him. It’s been too long.

Two weeks had passed since they’ve kissed- properly kissed; both Blaine and Sebastian had spent Christmas break at home. Blaine had thought he would go mad from being starved of Sebastian- his kisses, his touches.

“What is it-,” Sebastian says in between kisses. “-with you-.” Kiss. “-and dark corners?” Kiss.

Blaine pulls away, his mind still hazy from all the kissing. “What?”

“You and dark corners,” Sebastian says, quirking a brow. “Is this some kind of clandestine kink of yours- that you’ll only kiss me in secret?”

Blaine grows rigid for a moment. He hadn’t realized that he’s only ever kissed Sebastian in secret. But now that Sebastian has mentioned it, he notes that all the stolen moments and dark corners weren’t so much a kink rather than a comfort in knowing that this is _their_ little secret. Only theirs.

“It’s not that,” Blaine says as he traces a finger down Sebastian’s woollen scarf. “It’s just-”

He looks up at Sebastian, his face stoic but Blaine catches a glimpse of something flashing in those green eyes of his- something much like eagerness, or anticipation.

“I like that it’s this thing that only we know,” he says, suddenly nervous. “Just me and you. No one else.”

Blaine breathes shakily. Sebastian is quiet. For a moment, he wonders if he had said something wrong. But then, a smirk curls on Sebastian’s lips again.

“So a secret kink then?” Sebastian teased.

He chuckles as he punches playfully at Sebastian’s shoulder before the Slytherin boy grabs his wrist, pulling him closer. He’s pressed so close to Sebastian's chest, their proximity making him giddy. He can’t believe what had started as a crush has turned into this- dark corners, kissing. The thought spurs Blaine to rise on his tiptoes, hungrily crashing his lips against Sebastian’s.

Blaine sighs happily into the kiss, every inch of his body electrified by Sebastian; the way one of Sebastian’s hand cups the back of his neck, holding him close. The way the other roams by his waist, down the small of his back. Blaine lays a hand on his chest, feeling the Slytherin boy’s heart thumping under his palm. He’s suddenly dizzy with the thought that he’s the one making Sebastian’s heart race this way, he’s the one Sebastian’s kissing.

Sebastian. Sebastian.

Suddenly, there’s footsteps echoing somewhere down the courtyard. Blaine’s reflexes kick in and he shoves away forcefully from Sebastian. A Gryffindor prefect strides along a second later, her nose buried in a book.

“Right, so that’s an essay on identifying the _Snargaluff_ and its use as a weapon,” Blaine prattles, smiling nervously at the prefect. “And was it five or six inches of parchment?”

The Gryffindor prefect merely cast a lazy glance at Blaine as she walks by before returning to her book, disappearing into the castle.

Blaine turns back to Sebastian, who raises a brow questioningly at Blaine.

“I’m sorry- I- I didn’t-” Blaine stammers but before he can quite shape an apology, Sebastian is pulling him again, kissing him again.

“Just me and you, yeah?” Sebastian asks against his lips.

“Yeah,” he answers.

A wave of relief uncoils within him. He’s glad to know that Sebastian gets it- gets that it’s nice to let whatever it is blooming between them to be theirs, just theirs. At least for the time being. Blaine’s not ready for his friends- or the whole school- to know about Sebastian. Not yet.

 _Because he’s a Slytherin_ , a small voice adds in his mind.

But as soon as the thought appears, it quickly vanishes, drowned by the taste of Sebastian’s mouth on his.

\---

The sound of flapping wings reverberates through the Great Hall as the owls swoop in from the high windows to deliver the morning posts; a juxtaposition of drifting winter draft and the warmth of countless wing-beats filling the air.

Blaine is happily shovelling forkfuls of scrambled eggs and butter-sautéed mushrooms into his mouth when an owl drops a small rolled-up parchment next to his plate. He eyes the parchment curiously for a moment. He isn’t expecting any mail from his parents or his brother, Cooper; they had sent one a few days prior. And none of his friends has ever sent him an owl because all of his friends are here at Hogwarts.

Curious, he thinks.

Dropping his fork into the plate, Blaine wipes his hand down his trousers before picking up the parchment. He unrolls it gingerly, his heart suddenly racing the moment he sees the handwriting. It’s Sebastian’s; he had learnt the curves and loops of the Slytherin boy’s penmanship when they had sat next to one another in _Defence Against the Dark Arts_ last year.

_After class, let’s meet halfway.  
S._

As his eyes trace the words on the parchment, Blaine feels the widest smile pull at the corners of his mouth. He can hardly suppress the giddy sigh that leaves his lips. Suddenly self-conscious, he glances up at his best friend Tina, who’s sitting across from him. He’s nervous at the thought of her possible questions; _What does it say? Who’s_ S _?_ They’re questions he’s not ready to answer.

Relief floods his chest when Blaine finds her attentively reading the Daily Prophet and he’s glad he gets to enjoy this moment in exclusivity- just him, the parchment, Sebastian’s words.

He reads the note again. His last class of the day will be _Muggle Studies_ on the first floor and he knows Sebastian’s will be in _History of Magic_ on the third floor; their halfway point would be the long, empty corridor on the second floor. Blaine’s giddy with excitement just thinking about it; he’ll be meeting Sebastian later. More dark corners and kisses.

Carefully, Blaine folds the parchment and places it into his robe pocket, thankful that Tina is still reading her newspaper. He reaches for his pumpkin juice, the incessant wide grin etched on his face makes it difficult for him to take sip.

Suddenly, a din of whispers erupt somewhere from the Gryffindor table, murmurs loud enough to grab the attention of others from neighbouring House tables. It’s the kind of hushed talks that follow gossip or a scandal.

Instinctively, Blaine scans the Hall for the source of the commotion as he continues to wolf down his breakfast. Tina is peering over the top of the Daily Prophet now, eyes glued to the Slytherin table behind him. He turns to look.

There, Blaine finds Sam Evans, his Gryffindor friend and fellow Sixth Year, animatedly talking to Quinn Fabray, a Seventh Year prefect- and a Slytherin! He doesn’t understand what the fuss is about; students of all the Houses are used to mingling with each other. But then, Sam leans in to kiss Quinn. Blaine almost chokes on his eggs.

“You okay?” Tina asks, eyeing him with concern as he hastily gulps down more juice.

Blaine merely nods his response, unable to form words. His mind is swimming. Sam and Quinn. A Gryffindor and a Slytherin.

He watches Quinn smile into the kiss. There’s a warmth in his chest just looking at them; they look happy. Obliviously so.

Then, the murmurs seem to grow louder; here and there, clusters of students along all the House tables are talking behind their hands to each other, eyes trying to stop from staring at the mismatched couple without much success.

Would the students react this way if they found out about his relationship with Sebastian?

Blaine’s hands absently pat Sebastian’s note tucked in his pocket. A slow burn of panic simmers in his chest at the thought of being the centre of school gossip. A Hufflepuff and a Slytherin.

Blaine tries to shake the dreaded thoughts away, focusing on the fact that he has to head down to the castle grounds now if he wants to make it to _Care of Magical Creatures_ on time.

Pushing away from the table, Blaine grabs his satchel, Tina already following suit. They pass by the Slytherin table, the murmurs still following Sam and Quinn’s every move, the sound of it setting a heavy dread in the pit of Blaine’s stomach. Then, he chances a glance at Sebastian; he’s talking to some of his Sixth Year friends, his mousy brown hair styled back dashingly. Everything about Sebastian is dashing, he thinks.

Blaine lingers a moment by the Slytherin table, less than eager to part from Sebastian just yet. Then, the Slytherin boy looks up and their eyes meet for the briefest of moments. There are butterflies fluttering in his stomach already and in that moment, Blaine forgets the simmering panic under his skin.

_Just me and you, no one else._

\---

Blaine runs down the towering stands at the Quidditch pitch, leaping two steps at a time. Adrenaline and excitement are burning through his veins despite the winter cold. Slytherin had beaten Gryffindor 210 to 190 in the third match of the season, inching them closer to claim the Hogwarts’ Inter-House Cup.

The game had been nerve-wrecking, the energy of the entire school electrifying even through the falling flurries. And the players of both teams had given the match their all- especially Sebastian, he thinks giddily. Oh how graceful and glorious the Slytherin Chaser had been on the pitch.

Snow crunches under his hurried steps, his breath materializing in small puffs of mist as Blaine manoeuvres through the crowd of students leaving the pitch post-game. He makes straight for the Slytherin team’s tent, eager to congratulate Sebastian, eager to just... see him.

Blaine is halfway there when he sees Sebastian coming out of the tent with his prized Firebolt Supreme resting upon his shoulder, the elation on his face apparent even from a distance. Some of the other Slytherin players are with him, trading congratulatory slaps on the back. Blaine sees Quinn Fabray, who’s the Slytherin Seeker, link arms with Sebastian and laughing merrily. A moment later, he watches her tear away from the group and skip over to a waiting Sam Evans, who greets her by waving his wand to conjure a garland of red roses and placing it around her neck.

“Blaine,” Sebastian calls, slowly jogging towards him.

He smiles wide and starts to trot forward, too, but then-

“Blaine.”

He stops, his head turning in reflex to look for the person calling him. There, at the fringes of the crowd, Blaine finds Tina and her boyfriend, Mike, beckoning for him to come over.

“Where are you going? It’s freezing,” Tina half-yells to bridge the distance. “We’re going to miss tea.”

Blaine turns to look back at Sebastian, who’s standing just a little way away from him, a dust of snow settling in his hair. His chest aches. He wants nothing more than to run up to Sebastian, to pull him into a hug and rain him with praises on how great he had been in the match. He wants nothing more than to kiss Sebastian.

Then, Blaine gives Sebastian a small smile- and turns to join Tina and Mike instead.

As he climbs up the steps leading to the Great Hall, Blaine passes Sam leaning against one of the Hall’s pillars, Quinn by his side. He watches as the couple bow their heads close, talking in sweet whispers, their fingers intertwined. They’re oblivious to their surroundings, uncaring of the disapproving whispers of passers-by.

As Blaine climbs on the bench next to Tina, who’s already pouring herself a cup of black strawberry tea, he imagines kissing Sebastian by the pillars of the Great Hall- oblivious, uncaring. But even in his fantasy, he can already hear the disparaging murmurs following them everywhere.

\---

Blaine giggles against Sebastian’s lips as he cards his fingers through the hairs at the nape of his neck. They’re in one of the unused classrooms on the sixth floor, the empty space awarding them time away from prying eyes. Sebastian has him pressed against the wall, peppering kisses up his neck, along his jawline before coming back to his lips.

A contented sigh escapes his lips. “Sebastian.”

How he’s missed this dashing boy- even if they had seen each other the day before.

All too soon, Sebastian pulls away. Blaine whines at the sudden loss of his lips, already gravitating forwards eagerly to chase another kiss, eyes closing.

Sebastian huffs a small laugh against his lips as he places both hands on Blaine’s shoulders, gently pushing him off.

“Blaine-” Sebastian breathes.

Blaine slowly opens his eyes, blinking away the daze kissing Sebastian left him in. Sebastian seems nervous, Blaine thinks as he regards the way Sebastian’s eyes flick around the room, the way his lips are pursed as if he’s contemplating his words. Blaine reaches out to cup the side of the Slytherin boy’s face, hoping his touch can provide some comfort.

“What is it?”

Sebastian looks at him, the softness in those green eyes sending a flutter of butterflies flitting in his stomach. Then, the Slytherin boy smiles and takes his hand.

“I was thinking-” Sebastian says. “- since Valentine’s Day is in a few days, we could go to Hogsmeade together.”

Blaine jolts in surprise, his hand falling away from Sebastian’s. Hogsmeade. Valentine’s Day. Together.

“I got us a table at Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop,” Sebastian says, a hand rubbing the back of his neck; a tell Blaine knows to mean that Sebastian is really nervous.

Guilt festers in the pit of his stomach. Valentine’s Day; it had completely slipped his mind.

It’s been two months or so, this thing of theirs. And he’s been rather preoccupied, distracted. Kisses in empty classrooms like this one. Hushed conversations in the library, always picking the table tucked in the shadows. Long walks along the shores of the Black Lake near the edge of the woods, away from the castle. It’s been blissful and he’s content.

Hogsmeade. Valentine’s Day. Together.

“What do you say?” Sebastian asks, his eyes hopeful, excited.

Blaine stares at Sebastian a moment.

“You shouldn’t have,” he breathes.

Sebastian smiles, his eyes shining. “It’s nothing much.” He shrugs a shoulder but he’s clearly pleased.

Blaine can’t seem to steady his racing heart.

“I just wanted us to do something together- you know- something that isn’t in dark, empty classrooms.” Sebastian gestures around as Blaine’s eyes sweep across the room; there are unutilized chairs and tables stacked precariously high against one wall, held together in place by magic. Thick cobwebs dangle from the corners of the ceiling.

“No. Really, you shouldn’t have,” Blaine says, the emptiness of the room amplifying his voice.

Sebastian brows furrow, taking a step back. “What?” he whispers.

“Hogsmeade on Valentine’s Day will be full of people. Everyone from Hogwarts will be there,” he says, trying to tamp down his hysterics.

Sebastian stands a little straighter, defensive. “So?” he challenges.

“ _So_? Whatever happened to _just me and you, no one else?_ ”

Blaine’s breathing is laboured now. A familiar slow burn of panic stirs in his breastbone. He can almost hear the murmurs that’ll follow him and Sebastian.

The low, frustrated growl that escapes Sebastian’s throat rebounds off the walls. “How long, Blaine?”

Blaine blinks up at him in surprise.

“How long until it’s more than stolen moments and dark corners?” Sebastian asks, his hands shaking.

“I don’t-”

“Do you know how exhausting it is pretending there’s nothing between us when we cross paths in the hallways?” Sebastian asks, his voice shaking, rising slightly. “Do you know how much it aches to not just reach out and touch you when we’re in the same room?”

Blaine stands numbly, unable to speak. He hates the sadness etched in Sebastian’s eyes, in the down-turned corners of his mouth. He hates it more that he’s the cause of it.

Sebastian paces the room slowly, his lips pressed in a tight line- another one of Sebastian’s tells that he’s learned; Sebastian’s pondering something. Then, the Slytherin boy stops in the middle of room, a faraway look in his eyes. Slowly, he turns to face Blaine.

“Are you ashamed of me?” Sebastian asks, his voice barely a whisper.

The words rattle Blaine to his core, shaking him out of his stupor. It prompts him to move. Blaine launches forward to cradle Sebastian’s face in his hands.

“Sebastian, no, of course I’m not ashamed of you,” Blaine says, his voice firm. He holds Sebastian’s face close to his because he needs- desperately needs Sebastian to know that that isn’t the reason for all the stolen moments and dark corners.

“Then why?” Sebastian asks, his hands closing around Blaine’s wrists, the gesture pleading. _Tell me please_ , it said.

Blaine shakes his head slowly. “You know how most of Hogwarts- if not everyone- feels about anyone dating a Slytherin? I mean- look at Fabray and Evans and all the-”

Sebastian steps out of Blaine’s hold harshly, his hands flailing a moment in the empty space where Sebastian’s face had been.

“Is this what all this has been about?” Sebastian asks, his face contorted with so much hurt that it knocks the breath out of Blaine. “Because I’m a Slytherin?”

The festering guilt in Blaine grows tenfold, threatening to burst through his chest. There’s no denying it; he may not be ashamed of Sebastian, but if he’s being really honest, he’s prejudiced against the fact that Sebastian is a Slytherin. Countless nights he had fantasized about how perfect it’d be if Sebastian had been sorted in Ravenclaw instead- or even Gryffindor.

There’s no use in denying it. He owes Sebastian to be truthful.

“Yes,” Blaine breathes.

Sebastian’s face falls, his eyes shining with hurt. Gone is his stoic facade.

“Unbelievable,” Sebastian huffs before turning away and striding towards to door.

“Sebastian, please-”

Sebastian halts for a moment, turning to back to face Blaine. “My friends said you’d break my heart.”

Blaine is stunned, recoiling at the words. “You- you’ve talked to your friends about me?” he asks, curiosity mingling with surprise.

Sebastian shrugs. “Why wouldn’t I? They’re my friends.” Blaine catches a slight shadow of a smile. “And it’s you. I wanted to tell the world.”

The guilt erupts under Blaine’s skin and spills into every crevice of his body. He feels sick; to know Sebastian gushes about him to his friends while Tina, his very best friend doesn’t even know about his feelings for Sebastian, twists his stomach.

Silence engulfs the room. All Blaine hears is the hammering of his guilty heart in his ears. Then, Sebastian turns to leave, the door creaking loudly when he yanks it open.

“Don’t leave,” Blaine pleads.

“If you only see a Sytherin-” Sebastian says over his shoulder, his back to Blaine. “- and not a guy who’s crazy about you- then what’s the point in staying?”

Without another word, Sebastian leaves, slamming the door behind him. Blaine jumps at the deafening sound but he doesn’t make any effort to move. He just stands his ground and stares at the door, feeling cold and empty- much like the deserted classroom around him.

\---

The fire crackles in the hearth, emitting welcomed warmth throughout the Hufflepuff common room. There’s a group of students sitting on the floor by the fireplace, animatedly talking and laughing amongst themselves. Two students are poring over an enormous tome, occasionally scribbling notes on their parchment. The rhythmic swing of the pendulum of the Grandfather’s clock standing tall by the entrance provides a steady beat in the room.

The din of the Hufflepuff common room is one of the things Blaine finds most comforting, most calming. It’s his cosy home away from home. Yet, this evening, Blaine can’t seem to sit still, his nerves wrecking his body, his mind whirring with thoughts of his conversation with Sebastian the day before.

 _My friends said you’d break my heart_.

Blaine flinches at the memory, the sickening feeling returning to the pit of his stomach. He’s unsure if he’s offended that Sebastian’s friends would think that of him or that they had been right- because somewhere along the way, Blaine had hurt Sebastian.

“You ready to help me?” Tina says, pulling him out of his wallowing.

“What?”

“With my reading. You said you’d help,” his best friend says, pouting playfully.

Blaine and Tina are seated at one of the tables in the study area of the common room, the once-plush armchairs now worn down with time, well-loved with age. She’s shuffling a deck of cards slowly while studying the pages of an open book, the thick volume taking up a quarter of the table’s surface.

“Y- yeah,” Blaine stammers, trying to shake thoughts of Sebastian away. “Yeah, sure.”

“You okay?” Tina asks, brows furrowed in concern as her hands still their movements.

For a moment, Blaine considers telling Tina everything; about Sebastian and kissing in dark corners, about how he feels for the Slytherin boy, about their falling out. But he feels his heart is still too raw from losing Sebastian that he can’t guarantee he won’t end up sobbing loudly in the middle of the common room- in front of everyone present. So, he forces a smile, and nods his head, reassuring her that he is alright.

Seemingly satisfied by Blaine’s response, Tina straightens up in her chair and leans closer to the table. She starts shuffling the deck of cards again, fumbling a little since the dimensions of the cards are slightly longer and wider than playing cards. After a while, when her hands have gotten used to the movements, Tina shuffles faster, her lissom hands moving the cards deftly with every motion. She does this a few times before neatly bringing the cards together in a stack.

“Okay,” Tina says, putting the deck between them on the table. “I have two choices for my _Divination_ exam next week; _Tasseography_ or _Cartomancy_. And since I’m rubbish at reading tea leaves, I’m going to read tarot cards instead. So, expect me to practice my fortune telling on you this whole week.”

Tina cracks her knuckles as she consults her notes and Blaine smiles at how endearing his best friend’s work ethic is; from the meticulously written notes to the huge tomes stacked next to her for more research. It’s no wonder Tina is at the top of their class, much to the chagrin of some of the Ravenclaws.

“Okay, first, the person whose fortune needs telling has to cut the deck,” Tina explains. “Would you like to do the honours, Blainey-Days?”

Blaine chuckles at his nickname as he reaches for the deck. The gold discoid patterns are radiant against the midnight black background of the card and Blaine takes a moment to admire its artistry, tracing the smooth surface. He then runs his thumb down the side of the stack before carefully lifting up half the deck and placing it in front of Tina.

“Brilliant!” Tina exclaims excitedly. “Now, Professor Stellae says as beginners we should only draw three cards so we’re not overwhelmed by the reading.”

Tina clears her throat and closes her eyes, reciting some incantation about clearing the mind and summoning positive energy. Blaine feels a warmth blossom in his chest with the fondness he feels for his best friend. It’s then he feels a new kind of guilt festering within; he should have at least told Tina about Sebastian. How can he have kept something so significant from his best friend?

Slowly, Tina exhales and opens her eyes, drawing one card from the top of the cut deck. She turns it over and places it on the table, lips pursed and brows creased in deep concentration.

There’s an illustration of a young man on the card, walking down to the edge of a precipice while holding a white rose in one hand and a small bundle of possessions tied to a stick in the other. There’s a small white dog walking by its feet. Blaine’s eyes fall to name on the card; _Le Mat_. The Fool.

“Oh, wonderful,” Tina says, beaming.

“Cheers, Tina,” he says grumpily. Of course he’s The Fool.

Tina pulls a face, then smiling fondly at Blaine. “It doesn’t literally mean The Fool, silly,” she says encouragingly. “It’s all about interpretation with tarot.”

“Go on, then.”

“Okay. The Fool represents a protagonist, someone on a journey and navigating through life’s great mysteries,” Tina says, eyes scanning her book for reference. “So, I suppose _Le Mat_ here is referring to you.”

Blaine merely nods as Tina draws the second card. When she places it on the table, his heart starts pounding, racing faster.

 _L’Amoureux_. The Lovers.

Tina hums as she regards the card, oblivious at how Blaine’s breath comes in short, nervous puffs. She traces a finger down the page of her book and then tapping it when she’s found what she’s looking for.

“ _L’Amoureux_ here represents a relationship; a synchrony and balance. And it represents the choices surrounding it, making decisions that will impact the relationship,” Tina deduces, gently touching the drawn cards before she narrows her eyes at Blaine, a playful smile on her lips. “Blainey- are you in a relationship?”

Blaine’s heart jolts in his chest as a nervous laugh escapes his lips.

If Tina notices his sudden wrecked nerves, she doesn’t comment on it, merely wagging her eyebrows impishly before looking down at her cards again.

“See how the figures on the card are nude?” she asks, pointing to the illustration of a man and a woman standing naked side by side as a divine figure loom amongst the clouds. “It means The Lovers have nothing to hide from each other.”

A sharp pain shoots through Blaine’s heart, thoughts of Sebastian immediately coming to mind. The Lovers. Him. Sebastian. Nothing to hide.

Tina hums, deep in thought as she looks from one card to the other.

“I can’t interpret the connection between these two cards. Perhaps drawing the last one would help,” Tina muses to herself.

Gingerly, she places the last card on the table and there’s an illustration of two sphinxes pulling a chariot, a princely figure with a crown sitting atop it. _Le Chariot_. The Chariot.

Blaine stares at the card, eager now to hear what Tina has to say about this one.

“The Chariot,” Tina exclaims. “Like The Lovers card, it has to do with decision making- a willingness to take the reins. So drawing The Chariot after The Lovers strengthens the point in your fortune that you have some decision to make.”

“Make a decision,” Blaine wonders aloud.

Tina is still looking at the drawn cards, eyes skipping from _Le Mat_ to _L’Amoureux_ to _Le Chariot_. “So, basically- you are on a journey that involves a relationship and you have to make a decision regarding this relationship.”

Blaine’s heart beats wildly against his ribs, in awe of Tina’s first go at fortune telling. He, The Fool, has a decision to make regarding The Lovers- regarding his relationship with Sebastian. He has to take the reins.

 _Are you ashamed of me_ , Sebastian had asked. And Blaine had been honest; he wasn’t- isn’t- ashamed of Sebastian. Sebastian can be a pompous arse at times but he’s intelligent and funny... and sweet.

_If you only see a Slytherin..._

The words replay in Blaine’s mind, his eyes falling to one of Tina’s tarot cards. _Le Mat_. The Fool. _I am a fool_ , he thinks. In hindsight, why had it been something so damning to be a Slytherin in Blaine’s mind? Was being regarded in a certain way or esteem by his peers, by the rest of Hogwarts a good enough justification to have decided to only be with Sebastian in the shadows?

Hundreds of questions bombard his brain all at once, leaving him feeling dizzy and out of breath- like a boulder had been placed on his chest. He feels greatly overwhelmed. He needs to talk this through; he needs help figuring things out.

As realization dawns on him, Blaine’s eyes flick up to catch Tina watching him. Who better to confide in, to lament with than his best friend?

A small smile tugs at his lips. Tina.

Blaine rubs his palms nervously on his thighs, taking in a deep breath. _Time to take the reins_. He exhales.

“Tina, I have something to tell you?”

\---

It’s Valentine’s Day morning and the Great Hall is decorated tastefully in shades of red. There are glittery hearts and tassels hanging magically in mid air, glinting in the rays of winter sun. Up and down the House tables, Blaine hears squeals of excitement whenever someone receives a Valentine or two- in Quinn Fabray’s case, a bouquet of two dozen white roses specially delivered by a parliament of snow owls.

Next to him, Tina sighs as she rereads the Valentine’s that Mike had given her at breakfast before he had planted a kiss on her lips and sprinted off to _Apparition_ practice. Blaine gives her a small smile, genuinely happy for his best friend. Mike cares for Tina and makes her smile- a lot. They’re good for each other.

Overhead, more owls swoop in, dropping boxes of chocolates and cards onto the recipients’ laps. Blaine peers up over the rim of his coffee mug nervously, his eyes darting from one bird to the other.

“Don’t worry,” Tina comforts him, bumping their shoulders together. “The owl will be here.”

Blaine smiles earnestly at his best friend as he sets his mug on the table. It had been such a relief talking to Tina about Sebastian. Now he wonders why he ever thought it necessary to have kept her in the dark.

As expected, Tina had been affronted when Blaine had told her that he had been secretly dating for almost two months.

“You’re dating Sebastian Smythe and you didn’t tell me?” she had hissed.

“ _Was_ dating. Past tense,” he replied bitterly.

Tina’s anger had softened at that as Blaine had continued to tell her about the argument he and Sebastian had had in the deserted classroom. Tina had listened intently, comforting him all the way through. She had even chastised Blaine for ever thinking that it would matter to her that he had been dating a Slytherin.

“Does it really bother you that he’s a Slytherin?” Tina asked. It had been an honest question without the intention of being judgemental.

“No,” Blaine had answered. “I mean- yes! But no. But then- I don’t know.” He had run his fingers through his curls and tugged at them as if doing so could untangle his muddled, confused thoughts.

“Well, it shouldn’t,” his best friend had said, her tone gentle. “What House you’re in doesn’t define you.”

And in that moment, Blaine had realized just how true that was; your House did not define you. And Tina was one of the best examples; as a Hufflepuff, she was merely seen as impartial and meek (as was the prejudice against all Hufflepuffs) but she was fierce and competitive and intelligent beyond her years.

 _Your House does not define you_ , he had repeated in his mind like a mantra. _Your House does not define you._

Blaine is pulled out of his reverie when a tawny owl flies just above his head, ruffling his curly hair. He follows the bird with his eyes as it flutters across the Great Hall and swoops down to the Slytherin table.

Automatically, he scans the table for Sebastian, his heart aching. It had been three days since Sebastian had walked out of the empty classroom, leaving him feeling hollow. When Blaine finally spots him, he sees Sebastian sitting with his usual group of friends, talking animatedly over their breakfast. Are these the friends who had said he would eventually break Sebastian’s heart, Blaine wonders.

Then, he watches the tawny owl fly above Sebastian and drops a piece of card on the boy’s plate.

“See-” Tina chirps excitedly, bumping their shoulders again. “- told you the owl would be here.”

Blaine grins, his skin vibrating with excitement. But his palms are sweaty. He’s dead nervous.

From afar, he sees Sebastian pick up the card and opens it slowly. His heart races a mile a minute in his chest, his pulse deafening in his ears. Blaine watches Sebastian read the card; it’s a Valentine. Tina had encouraged him to send Sebastian one, a way to make amends, a start to fixing his relationship with Sebastian.

_Your House does not define you._

Blaine had been at a loss for words, the many drafts of Sebastian’s Valentine had varied from the pleading ‘ _Please forgive me_ ’ to a terrible Slytherin pun ‘ _You’ve slithered into my heart_ ’. He had cringed at every one of them. At last, Blaine had opted for the more traditional approach; _Be mine_.

Tina has her arm looped around his, her energy and excitement contagious. Blaine can feel her tense as they both blatantly watch Sebastian’s every move, all subtleties out the window. Then, Sebastian raises his eyes from the Valentine to find Blaine, finding him almost immediately. He feels the air rush out of him when their gazes meet. It knocks the wind out of his chest at how quickly Sebastian can find him through the crowded Hall.

For a long moment, neither Blaine nor Sebastian move. They hold each other’s gaze and Blaine can feel his heart aching from missing Sebastian. Oh how he craves to run to Sebastian at this moment and kiss him.

Without warning, Sebastian looks away and retrieves his wand from the notch inside the sleeve of his robe. Then, he taps the parchment once and instantly, it goes up in flames.

Blaine can feel his jaw dropping, his gasp catching somewhere in his throat. Tina clutches his arm tighter, clearly affected by what had just happened, too. He watches Sebastian push away from the Slytherin table, grab his satchel and stride out of the Great Hall.

Sebastian Smythe had just incinerated his Valentine and Blaine feels like his chest is smouldering, like his heart had just been burned.

\---

The Dungeon corridor glows an eerie green under the light of the torches in the wall sconces, the yellow-green flames flickering with the occasional draft. Blaine paces outside the _Potions_ class’ door, his steps echoing down the length of the corridor. It’s freezing down in the Dungeons, his breath puffing in mist before him- but he doesn’t care. He needs to talk to Sebastian.

After quickly completing his _Transfiguration_ in-class essay, Blaine had asked Professor Vicis’ permission to be dismissed. Being the final class of the day- and considering it was Valentine’s Day- Professor Vicis had allowed Blaine and a handful of other students to leave early.

Blaine had rushed down to the Dungeons, knowing that Sebastian’s last class of the day would be _Potions_. He had been waiting for almost half an hour, impatiently pacing and biting his thumb nail nervously.

At long last, the door to the Dungeon’s class opened with a heavy creak, students quickly pouring out into the corridor, undoubtedly eager to begin their Valentine’s Day festivities down in Hogsmeade. He spots Sebastian walking out with his satchel strap running across his chest, both hands shoved in his trouser pockets. Blaine catches himself sighing happily at the sight of Sebastian; the boy looks good. There’s an ache in his chest from missing Sebastian. Three days is too long without Sebastian’s touches, his kisses.

“Sebastian!” Blaine calls out, his voice echoing off the Dungeon walls, his feet carrying him fast towards Sebastian.

Sebastian turns and briefly stops in his tracks. Blaine catches a glimpse of surprise in the Slytherin boy’s eyes before Sebastian scowls and turns to walk away again.

“Sod off, Anderson,” Sebastian calls over his shoulder. “Wouldn’t want anyone seeing you talking to a Slytherin.”

Blaine halts a moment, recoiling at Sebastian’s stinging words. He guesses he deserved that- but it doesn’t stop him from sprinting after Sebastian.

“I just want to talk to you,” he says, cutting Sebastian off and blocking his path.

Other students are milling past them, some definitely curious as to what’s going on, their eyes peering questioningly at both of them. A familiar panic bubbles within, conscious of being the subject of gossip, a scandal.

No, it’s not a scandal, Blaine reminds himself. _Your House does not define you_.

“What?” Sebastian barks, clearly irritated.

“I just- I wanted-” Blaine stammers, his heart frantic, threatening to beat out his chest.

Sebastian quirks a brow, impatient- but Blaine can’t seem to get the words out.

“What, Blaine?”

Blaine startles- but he smiles a little in spite of himself; at least Sebastian hadn’t called him Anderson this time.

“You burnt my Valentine,” he says, then curses himself under his breath. That was the last thing he had wanted to say. This isn’t going well, Blaine thinks bitterly.

“Is this what this is about?” Sebastian asks, annoyed. “You risked talking to me in public because I burnt your Valentine?”

Blaine recoils again. A draft blows down the corridor and he shudders, unsure whether it’s from the cold or Sebastian’s stinging remarks.

“No,” he breathes, aware how his face falls. “I wanted to say- I’m sorry. For being a jerk.”

Sebastian regards him for a long moment. “Is that all?” he finally asks.

Blaine is stunned. How can Sebastian be so cold? Is this the same boy he had flirted with in _Herbology_? Is this the same Sebastian who had kissed him for the first time that one winter day outside the Greenhouse, telling him he was the most beautiful boy he had ever met? Is this the same boy who had deftly rapped _Alphabet Aerobics_ and spent the night in his bed doing nothing but kiss and have small talk?

“Perhaps next time you should send your apology in the post,” Sebastian says as he starts to walk around Blaine towards the stairs leading out of the Dungeons.

Anger is boiling under his skin now at Sebastian’s snide remarks, at the thought of him burning the Valentine.

“I meant what I said- what I wrote in the Valentine,” Blaine yells, halting Sebastian’s steps.

Sebastian turns to face him, his eyes glowing emerald in the light of the eerie-green flames. “Those are just generic words written on a holiday card.”

“What? Do you want me to shout it out at the top of my lungs instead, Sebastian?” Blaine is shouting now, his breath laboured, uncaring of anyone still lingering down in the Dungeons. “Do you want me to tell the whole school? Because I’ll do it.”

“Do you think that’s what I want?” Sebastian hisses, trying to keep himself from yelling.

“You’re the one who wanted us to go to Madam Puddifoot’s for Valentine’s. Isn’t that the same as telling everyone about us?”

Sebastian runs a hand over his face, frustrated. It’s then that Blaine sees how sad the Slytherin boy looks, how tired. “Madam Puddifoot’s was supposed to be only for us, no one else. Isn’t that what you always wanted; _just me and you, no one else_?”

Blaine blinks up at Sebastian in surprise. _Just me and you, no one else_ ; those were his words.

In the beginning, Blaine had meant those words to represent a secret; of stolen moments and dark corners. As time passed, the meaning of the words had grown, just as his feelings for Sebastian had. But he had been blind to it, too caught up in fear of gossiping whispers. He hadn’t realize the words had grown to take a different meaning; _just me and you, no one else_ now meant _just us, only us- come what may_.

Sebastian had known this, Blaine realizes. Those words had held a different meaning to Sebastian for a while now. _A guy who’s crazy about you_ , Sebastian had confessed. Sebastian is in love with him. And in all honesty, he’s in love with Sebastian. How had he not realized it sooner?

 _Le Mat_ , Blaine thinks. The Fool; that’s why.

“I just wanted you to meet me halfway,” Sebastian breathes.

Halfway.

Snippets of memories replay in waves in his mind’s eye; how Sebastian would offer a hand when he knew no one was watching, waiting for him to take it. How Sebastian would lean in for a kiss only to stop mere inches from his lips. Sebastian had always waited for Blaine to meet him halfway.

 _L’Amoureux_. A synchrony, a balance. Halfway.

Emboldened by all that he feels for Sebastian, Blaine steps forward, bridging the distance between them. There’s so many things he wants to say, so many things he could say- but in the end, he settles for what rings truest in his heart:

“Then be mine,” Blaine says, his voice shaky but it is firm. The words- whether written on a card or spoken from his lips- have never been generic. “Be mine, Sebastian. Meet _me_ halfway.”

Blaine stops in front of Sebastian, their faces so close he can feel the Slytherin boy’s breath on his skin. So close that he can just lean in and brush his lips on Sebastian’s.

But he doesn’t. Blaine waits, instead. Halfway.

In the green glow cast by the Dungeon flames, Blaine watches the way Sebastian’s breath hitches, the way his eyes flick to his lips- deciding, contemplating.

Then, in one blissful swoop, Sebastian captures Blaine’s lips with his own. It’s messy and hungry- it’s everything he’s been craving, yearning for these past three days.

Despite the draft seeping cold into his bones, despite the pairs of eyes lingering on him from the group of students still in the Dungeons, Blaine kisses Sebastian, his hands flying to grab the back of the Slytherin boy’s neck, to tangle his fingers in Sebastian’s mousy brown hair.

Every glide of Blaine’s lips on Sebastian’s is an invocation: _Be mine_. And to his heart’s delight, in every glide of Sebastian’s lips, Blaine _feels_ his reply:

_I’m yours._

\--- END

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.  
> Comments are welcomed. Let's talk more about the fic.


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